Chess game device



Jan. 26, 1954 Filed Nov. 7, 1950 .T. R. LANICE 2,667,353

CHESS GAME DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Zhwentor THEODORE R. LAN/CE GttornegJan. 26, 1954 T. R. LANICE CHESS GAME DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov.7, 1950 FIG. I

Zhwentor 77295 09035 LAN/C5 (Ittomeg Patented Jan. 26, 1954 UNITEDSTAT-Ed ATENT OFFICE CHESS GAME DEVICE Theodore R- Lanice, Freeport, N.Y. Application November 7, 1950,. Serial No. 194,445

2' Claims. 1

This invention relates to a game apparatus, and more particularly to agame apparatus including a game board which can be folded andotherwisemanipulated to form a pouch of pocket size for containing theplaying-pieces; the invention is particularly adapted to a gameapparatus including a foldable game board for containing a set ofchessmen or other figurines, checkers, or any other playing-pieces,which are movable upon the game board when it is unfolded and made readyto receive the figurines or other playing-pieces.

Foldable chess-kits of various kinds are well known. Some of them areconvenient for travel. One well known form consists of a playing boardwhich folds in the middle wherein each playing square is individuallyslotted to receive the tongue of a tapered piece of material having thesymbol characteristic of the piece imprinted thereon, so that byinserting the tongues in the slotted squares, the symbolic pieces can beprogressively moved upon the game board to" symbolize the movements ofthe chessmen. It is difiicult for the average player to play withplaying-pieces of this type, so that the use thereof is accordinglylimited to a relatively small number of ardent chess players.

The principal object of this invention is a game" apparatus which isself-contained, having a gameboard which is soft and pliable and can bereadily manipulated to form a pouch for housing the playing-pieces,which pouch can be folded into' a compact package to form a portableplaying kit which is relatively small and can be molded at will to fiteither the coat pocket, or into a small space in an overnight bag or thelike.

Another object is a compact playing setina cluding a flexible game boardwhich folds tostore the playing-pieces, which set can be opened up toform a conventional game board for a conventional set of threedimensional pIaying piec'es comprising figurines of conventional sizesuch as are customarily used inplaying the prescribed game.

Other objects will appear from the detaileddescription which follows:

In the drawings comprising three sheets of fifteen figures numberedFigs. 1 to 15 inclusive, several embodiments of the invention areillustrated.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a foldable game board unfolded and in use as inthe conduct of a game of chess;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the game board of Fig. 1 folded topartially develop a container 2 for the figurine playing-pieces showinghow the figurines in this case a set of chessmen are contained withinthefold;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the game board manipulated into positionfor final closing;

Fig. 4- is a perspective view of the game board when fully closed toform a pouch with the figurine playing-pieces inside the pouch.

Fig. 5 is an edge view partly in section and partly broken away takenalong the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of foldabl'e game boardembodying the invention; 7 Fig. 7' is a perspective View of the gameboard of Fig. 6 folded to" partially develop a container or pouch forthe figurine playing-pieces;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the game board showing the next step infoldingit to develop" the container orpouch;

tied to form a pouch with the figurine playingpieces contained withinthe pouch and ready for storing;

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a fragment taken along the lineHl!il of Fig. 7 looking in the directionof the arrows;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of another modified form of foldablegameboard;

Fig. 12 is a'perspecti-ve view of the game board of Fig. 11 manipulatedto develop the first folding broken away taken along the line l5'-!'5 ofFig. 1

11 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Like reference characters designate correspending parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawings.

The game board 2a is made of a substantially square blank of a; softpliable or flexible durable material such as a textile fabric, suede orother soft and flexible lea-then or other soft pliable material, havinga series. of playing squares orother indicia characteristic of. thesubdivisions into which the game board is required? to: be subdivided,delineated. within the marginal edges of the blank. The blank may bemade of relatively thin material and if not inherently water-- proof itmay be. waterproofed in. any Well known manner to render the fabricmoisture-repellent.

' For a chess board the playing. squares alter- Fig. 9 shows the gameboardfully folded and nate in color as the black or red squares 2i andthe white squares 22, to provide the conventional number of playingsquares arranged in eight rows of eight squares each.

The marginal edges of the game board 20 are reinforced as by means ofthe strips of binding tape 23, 24, 25 which are doubled over around theperipheral marginal edges of the blank and are then secured thereto byone or more lines of stitching 26 sewn back and forth through themarginal edges of the blank and through both plies of the folded overbinding tapes 23, 24, 25 (see Fig.

A series of studs 21 are permanently attached to the game board 28 atsuitably spaced intervals preferably in the marginal edge of the blankoutside the playing squares of thegame board. A suitable number ofcomplementary sockets 28-23 are also attached to the opposite side ofthe game board in similarly spaced relation, so that when the game board25 is folded across the middle, the male studs 27-21 will register withand snap into the female sockets 28-28 to fasten the opposite ends ofthe game board together as shown in part in Fig. 2, to partially form anenvelope bag or container for housing the playing-pieces.

The complementary interengageable elements 28 and 38 of a hookless orsliding fastener are sewn or otherwise attached to the marginal edges ofthe game board 20 at one end thereof. The interengageable elements 29and 30 are ordinarily mounted upon suitable tapes or ribbons, and thesaid'tapes or ribbons are in turn secured to the marginal edges of thegame board as by means of the lines of stitches 3! (see Figs. 2 and 5)which are sewn through the body of the fabric of the tapes and of thegame board, to secure the interengageable elements in position forcorrect registry.

The interengageable elements 29 and 3E] are attached to the marginaledges of the game board 2B in such a manner that they project laterallyand outwardly therefrom sufliciently so that when the board is foldedacross the middle substantially as shown in Fig. 2, the infolded sideedges and the opposite end edge of the folded figurine playing-pieceshoused within the folds board nest inside the complementary elements 729 and 30 of a hookless or slide fastener, so that the said infoldedside and end edges will not obstruct the proper operation of thecomplementary elements 29 and 30 or freedom of the movement of the slide34 of the slide fastener, when the container is folded again as shown inFig. 3 to develop the pouch shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

One of the interengageable elements, as for example the element 29terminates in a pin 32,

4 three dimensional figurines representing the kings 31, the rooks orcastles 38, the knights 39, the bishops 40, the pawns 4|, and the queens53 are placed in a prone position in one corner of the game board, andthe game board is then folded over crosswise so as to bring the studs 21into correct registry with the sockets 23. The studs 21 are then snappedinto correct'registry with the V sockets 28. The studs 21 are thensnapped in the sockets 28 to develop an envelope pocket which looselyhouses the figurine playing-pieces substantially as shown in part inFig. 2 of the drawings. After the pocket has been formed and fullysecured it is again folded over across the middle at right angles to thefirst line of fold thus bringing the pin 32 into position to registerwith the opening in the slide as and with the socket 33 substantially asshown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, whereupon the pull 35 is manipulated tocause the slide 3G to slide alon the complementary interengageableelements 29 and 30 of the hookless fastener which are thus zippedtogether to completely contain the playing-pieces within the formedpouch (Figs. 4 and 5).

The stops 36-36 at the outer extremities of the interengageable elements29 and as arrest the movement of the slide 34, and with the marginaledges thus zipped together the game board forms an enclosed pouch withthe figurine playing-pieces securely but loosely enclosed upon theinside substantially as shown in Fig. 4. The game board when thus foldedto form a sealed pouch loosely housing the playing-pieces may beconveniently molded, and is small enough to fit in the pocket of aconventional coat, or it can be molded to fit. a relatively small spacein an overnight bag or travelling case, from which it can be readilyremoved and opened up to form a game board for a conventional set ofthree dimensional of the game board. The pieces can be quickly arrangedin correct position for playing the game.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 6' to 10 inclusive, the game board50 is made from a substantially square blank of soft pliable thindurable material such as a textile fabric, suede or other soft readilyflexible leather, or other pliable material, as before, and the playingarea may be subdivided as into the playing squares 5i and 52 ofcontrasting color arranged as in a conventional chess or checker board.The material may be waterproofed to make it waterrepellent. The marginaledges of the blank may i be suitably reinforced as by means of thebindwhile the other interengageable element 30 terminates in a socket 33adapted to receive the pin 32. When the pin 32 is inserted through thechannel of the slide 3!; into the socket 33 the interengageable elements25 and 30 are brought into position preparatory to correct registry,substantially as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings,

and by drawing the pull tab 35, the slide 34 moves along thecomplementary interengageable elements 29 and as of the hooklessfastener causing them to interengage and thus secure the opposite sideedges of the folded game board together to complete a pouch. orcontainer substantially as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.-

All of the various pieces ordinarily used in the game to be played uponthe game board, which in the conventional game of chess include the 59and 60 of a hookless or sliding fastener mounted upon suitable ribbontapes are secured to the. H

ing'tapes 54, 55, and 5B which are folded around and secured to themarginal side edges of the game board in any suitable manner .as bylines of stitching 51-5! sewn through the body of the blank and thefolded over tape (see Fig. 10)

The complementary interengageable elements peripheral marginal edges ofthe game board in any preferred manner as by means of the lines ofstitching 5 l-6l which may be sewn through the material of the gameboard and through the ribbons or tapes which carry the interengageableelements 59 and 60 of the hookless fastener (compare Figs. 7 and 10) Thepin 62, formed at the inside end of the complementary element 59,registers when the game board 50 is folded crosswise with the socket I53secured to the inner end of theother complementary element 90, and whenthe pin 92 has been inserted in the socket '63 the slide 64 may bemanipulated by means of the pull tab 65 to zip the slide fastener andthus convert the game board 50 into an envelope with the figurineplaying-pieces 61 enclosed therein as shown in part in Fig. 7 of thedrawings. When the pull tab 65 is drawn to the outer extremities of thecomplementary elements 59 and 90, the stops 66-69 arrest furthermovement of the slide 94, and the envelope thus formed may be folded orrolled over and over substantially as shown in Fig. 8 so that the tietapes 68 and 99 which are fastened to the marginal edge of the gameboard, as by means of a line of stitching '89 (Fig. 10), may be wrappedaround the game board roll H and tied together in any suitabl manner asby means of a bow knot 12 (Fig. 9).

In the modified form shown in Figs. 11 to 15,

a blank piece of soft pliable durable thin material substantially twiceas long as wide to define a double square of either a textile fabric, orof a soft suede, or other soft readily flexible leather, or other thinmaterial, is provided with a series of subdivisions characteristic ofthe desired game board such as the playing squares 9|, 92, whichsubdivisions are delineated within the marginal edges of one square ofthe blank which may then be folded crosswise with the game board facinginwardly to bring its running side edges into registry preparatory tosewing seams along the running side edges of the blank. The fabric maybe suitably treated to make it water-repellent. After the opposite sideedges have been sewn or otherwise fastened together to form an openmouthed envelope the resulting envelope may be turned inside out toexpose the playing squares 9i and 92 of the game board upon one outerface of the envelope.

Complementary interengageable elements 93 and 94 of a hookless orsliding fastener are then secured to the opposite marginal edges of themouth of the envelope in any suitable manner as by means of lines ofstitching 95 (Figs. 11 and 15). The hookless fastener includes the usualslide element 99 which is manipulated as by means of a pull tab 97 tocause the complementary elements 93 and 94 (Figs. 11 and 15) tointerengage when the pull tab is manipulated to close the mouth of theenvelope. When the mouth of the envelope is open, the figurineplaying-pieces 98 may be inserted therein so that when the hooklessfastener is manipulated to close the mouth of the envelope, theplaying-pieces are loosely housed or contained within the envelope.

After the hookless fastener has closed the mouth of the envelope, it isfolded across the middle substantially as shown in Fig. 12, and is thenrolled up or folded over and over substantially as shown in Figs. 13 and14, and can then be secured in a rolled condition as by means of the tietapes 99 and H10 which may be sewn to the seamed edge wall of the gameboard 99 (Fig. 15), or the tie tapes 99 and I00 may be placed betweenthe folded-under running edges of the material before sewing the seam.The tie tapes 99 and 199 may be tied together in any suitable manner asby means of a bow knot 595 (Fig. 14).

Other modifications of my invention will be cbvious to those skilled inthe art. While the invention has been illustrated as applied to aplaying kit for playing the game of chess, it may of course be appliedto any game which utilizes a game board and a set of playing-pieces.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination chessboard and pouch, comprising, a flat sheet of limppliable material foldable transversely along a medial portion thereof toform two lateral pairs of adjacent edges connected by another pair ofadjacent edges disposed oppositely said folded-over portion,complementary detachable fastening devices secured to said three pairsof edges and being interengageable, whereby said sheet is convertibleinto a pouch, said interengageable fastening devices constituting aclosure for the pouch, said sheet having a representation of achessboard playing area on a surface of said sheet extending across saidmedial portion, whereby when said sheet is in its unfolded condition theentire playing area Will be exposed, said fastening devices beinglocated outside the said playing area, said sheet being so proportionedthat when operatively folded over along said medial portion the saidplaying area will be completely covered up and each of said pairs ofedges will be brought into cooperative alignment, the folded-over sheetin said pouch form being of pliable structure, whereby it will besubject to further folding.

2. In a foldable game board, the combination according to claim 1, thesaid fastening devices comprising two oppositely disposedinterengageable slide fastener means along three peripheral edges of thesheet, said slide fastener means being separated in the region of saidmedial portion to permit the sheet to be operatively folded overthereat.

THEODORE R. LANICE.

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